News helicopters circled the needle, created for the 1962 World’s Fair, about 1:20 p.m. Monday. The photo above is from our news partner, KOMO/4. A Space Needle spokesperson was not immediately available, but it was reported the panic may have been over steam from a dishwasher or kitchen work.

After repeated calls, Fitzpatrick checked again with dispatchers. But no fire was reported.

This false alarm is reminiscent to April Fools Day 1989 when classic Seattle comedy show “Almost Live!” reported the Space Needle falling down. After the segment ran and some people didn’t realize it was a joke, 911 dispatches were flooded with calls. City officials weren’t pleased.